Machinery supports



May 6, 1958 J. J. sLoYAN 2,833,597

MACHINERY SUPPORTS Filed March 8,` 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 HmmHHHHHHIIIIIIHI HHIHHHHHH "HMI U IWW 5 INVENTOA .fr/PME J.' sa om.

I wwf@ May 6 19,58 J. J. smv/lm.l 2,833,597

MR-INERY SUPPORTS Filed March 8,` 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 III l v mi 37 NEMO-. w Jaw/wry'. 540 mw.

l 7 c L fil t 3 l May 6 1958 J. J. sLoYAN 2,833,597

MACHINERY SUPPORTS F1e d March 8, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lgatented, May ,6, 1958 United Safes. Patenten@ MACHINERY SUPPORTS Jerome J. Sloyan, Trenton, N. I. n Application March 82 19,55, Serial No. 492,944 Y s claims. 11.303429? This invention relates vto supports, and more particularly to that type of support for motors rvor other 'InachilleryA `for' providing `a movable `carriage by which the motor or thexlike has Vadjustable relation to somelother instrumentality."l i y y Vl*In* most instances, VprioraI-t supports 'of this igeneral characterhave failed inrnumerous respects to adequate- 1yr( kfuliill trade requirements, 'such1as'easy sliding with extensive metal-to-metal,surfaces, lowv cost promotedby use ofstandardmaterials, elimination of chatter, 'simplicity, compactnes-s, rigidity, Dand so forth. t

The present invention accordingly proposes aconstruc. tion ofV Vsupport overcomingfthecriticisms andV inade-l quacies of the prior'artf y y g l Morespecitically, the inventionrproposes av practical construction providing slidably litting gliders 'on rails with extensive metal-to-metal surface *engagementl both longitudinally and circumferentially. p v

In addition to the foregoing object, the invention furthetxpurposes to compensate fortdiscrepancies of align-` ment and parallelism. Y. 4 y Y y y Anotherobject of the inventionis to obtain afstrong structure which vwill nottbecome deformed Yin use.,

A furtherobjectis to provide cushioning means inthe glider.` n Other objects, advantages and' novelty fof. construction will appear to p'ersons skilled in the Tart, to `which the invention` appertains as theV description proceeds, 2 both by direct recitation thereofv and by implication from the context. 4 t v Referringjto--the ,accompanying drawings, inl which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts'throu'ghout theseveralviews;Y f ,f

,Figure y1 is la k,side elevation, of` the support of inl vention in use;

Figure 12 is a cross-section on line XII-XH of Fig.

'i 1-1; and

-Figure 13 is a perspective XIII of Fig. 11.

For preliminary clarification to orient the present invention in relation to its use, it may be pointed out that the support constituting my improvement has particular utility in connection with belt driving of one machine by another, and may be utilized eitherl to support the drivingunit or the driven unit. Arbitrarily, therefore,

, Figure 1 shows a motor 30 which drives an instrumentality i 31 through the agency of a belt 32 and pulleys 33 and 34 v with a variable pitch pulley or with machines wherein respectively on the shafts of said motor and instrumentality. The support has basic construction enabling it to be readily used withy machines wherein one is equipped Figure 1 isV correct for either such use of the support,4

Y whereas in such other views as Figs. 2 and 4, spring load- Figure 2 is '4a. plan -ofthe.;supportapartiallyrbrolren away; Y t, f, f,

Figure v3 is a' longitudinal sectional viewvo'n line Blf-11H OtFigfZ; t .;-f f -Figure fl is a' longitudinal sectional 4View ,onl'livne IV--IV ofFiguZ; jj, s f i, f Figure 5 isavcross-sectional view on lineJlV-g-,Y vof Figure 6v isa cr.oss-sectionalV view on line Vl-f-Vlo'f Fig.Y 7 Vshowing reenforcem'ent bymeans of cmg; Figure i7 is a plan of the construction of Fig. A6;,` ,v VFigure 8y is a view simlar to `Fig." 6`,4 showing 'a plurality of tubular housings and,` af one-piece jtrussbracing" I t i FigureQ isa perspective cross-sectional viewjof'a modiedlpcorstruction, taken `on Ia line corresponding to -Fig'ure l0 is across-sectional viewof anotherrnodietif construction, taken :onV a .lf'., Y `v Figure .l 1 construction, taken on @friser a; 1

linie 'teff'slidesing ,t0 .Ye-'Y gf is" a longitudinal section' offanother modified a line'corresponding 'to ing is illustrated as being utilized. The construction is such that a user'may employ the support for one type of drive, but if he later desires to use the support for the other type of'drive, may, without difficulty, make the appropriate alteration of the support and thereby avoid the need of discarding one and obtaining another to fulfill the new requirement. Such universality orl adaptability to either positive or spring-loaded actuation is of i-mportance to many users.

YAn essential feature of the present'invention resides in #the construction of a support 35 for the piece of machinery, which is herein exemplified as motor 30. As shown, a bed 36 is provided to which the instrumentality 31 is secured, and to which axed portion of the support of the present invention is secured, it being under stood that said bed is representative of any structure, suchy as floor, table, wall, shelf, ceiling, or the like which will atord relatively fixed mounting for the' aforementioned instrumentality and for the fixed portion of the support.

The fixed portion of the support as herein illustrated, comprises two parallel rails 37 the ends ot' which are made fast to transverse cleats 38 whichfmay conveniently be formed from appropriate lengths of angle iron one ange of which forms a foot juxtaposed to and adapted to besecured to bed 36 and the other ange of which stands perpendicularly and constitutes an end abutment and rigid mounting for the said rails. The assembly of rails and cleats forms a rectangle of which the cleats will arbitrarily be referred to as at the ends and the 'rails 'as at the sides of the rectangular assembly constituting facture and efficiency of operati-on, I provide a construc- 3 tion of support i' enablingme yto utilize such rods as the rails 37 only necessitating cutting the rods to proper length and appropriately machining the extremities Vfor reteni' tion thereof in the cleats as by threading the reduced ends and applying nuts I37 thereon where Aprojecting through f said cleats; f

vThe movable portion yof the support comprises a carriagel 39 having slidable 'movement longitudin'allylof'f the rails, saidL carriage Yhaving gliders 4G atl-itsY oppositeV fig side Imargins cooperating 'with the rails to-'notonl'y pro-'isectional view on line vide"`for sliding of the carriage on the rails, but to also keep the carriage assembled upon'the rails no matter in what position the support may be located.

,Each glider is` conveniently comprised of rectangular tubing,'stock sizes of which are availablev on the market, and in the present showing said tubing is square in crosssection having an inside Vdimension materiallyl greater than the ouside dimension or diameter ofthe rail, In the region proximate to each end of the rectangular tubing of the glider and within said tubing, is a bearing assembly 45 consisting of a metallic bushing 46 slidably fitting the rail, and a resilient annulus 47 on the bushing, said annulus having a metallic y,cylinder segment l.48yin arcuate contact therewith and making line contact with the inside of `the rectangular tubing of therglider. As shown in.Fig. 5, for instance, said segment 48 is C-shape in cross section in its preferred embodiment.

AIn the-fabrication of thel preferred construction, the f initial Aoutside diameter of the segment` 48 is Aapproximatelyequal to the `distance between opposite inside faces of the glider tubeV and the outside diameter of the annulus is `equal to theinside diameter of the segment, but the inside diameter of said annulus is slightly smaller than the `outside `diameter of the bushing 46. Hence, when the resilient annulus 47 is applied on the bushing, it is stretched somewhat and its outside diameter tends to or otherwise made'fast to the glider tube and projecting into a hole 51 of slightly greater size than the shank of the rivet, said hole being formed in the bearing assembly to loosely receive said shank of the rivet. In Figures 9 and 10, the anchoring means is illustrated as a screw fixed in the bearing assembly with hole 51 provided in the glider tube thereby alfording the desired looseness or lost motion.

It is opportune topoint out that whereasin most instances the rails are each shown with an individual glider therefor, the invention contemplates inclusion of both rails within a single oblong glider thatcmbraces both rails as shown in Fig; 9. This construction is accomplished by providing a top plate 52 that spans the two increase thereby tendingnto expand the C-shaped segment. A compressive force consequently, in this instance, has to be exerted on thesegment to reduce its diameter in order to insert the assembly 45 into the glider tube. That compression results in a deformation of the resilient annulus 47 at the circumferential part vthereof not confined by the metallic segment 48,;and that deformation suffices to` cause the resilientannulus to protrude at its uncontined portion into contact with the adjacentwall of the glider tube. t' y I wish it to be understood that the invention is not confined to provision of protrusion of theannulus, as it is also` contemplated that there may be no deformation of said annulus either when applying it to `the bushing 46` or when inserting the assembly 45 into the glider tube.

In thatvcase, there would then be a void or clearance between the periphery of the annulusand the proximate wall n of the glider tube equal` at their nearest approach to the thickness of the segment material.

However, by virtue of. the resiliency `of the annulus 47, the amount of the clearance can be controlled by predetermined choice of inside and outside .diameters of the resilient annulus and by the thickness of the segment employed. In factby,y making appropriate choice of dimensions, l am enabled to selectively provide a prerails, bends down at the outsides ofthe two rails to form side walls 53 for the glider, then bends under the rails to form a bottom wall 54 beneath each rail in conjunction with a bottom plate 55 welded or otherwise made Van integral part: of the common glider.

Furthermore, it'may be pointed out that whereas in most instances thefconning segment 48 for the resilient annulus 47 of bearing .assembly `45 is C-shaped so as to be substantially tangential to three walls of a square tube, variations thereof are contemplated. For instance, in Fig. 9, while the segment is C-shaped, it has tangential status with only the top and bottom walls of the glider and is-he1d`1oosely in the glider by anchoring means in t Y the upper wall of the glider and in the upper arcuate poraround the end margins ofthe bushings.

determined clearance, no clearance, or a `state of comi pression of the annulus against the glider tube wall. To t what extent there will be clearance, no clearance or compression, is a matter to be determinedby the requirements of the installation where used. In any event, the

various Acomponents would be suitably proportioned to t safely support the load to which the assembly is likely to be subjected.

In all `constructions herein shown, assembly travels with the glider but without rigid attachment thereto. Suitable .anchoring means is accordingly provided between said assembly andglider which affords a restricted mobility of lateral location suicient to enable the assembly to adjust itself within the `glider tube and more especially to adjust itself in a direction transverse to said tube. Thus, should the distance between center lines of the two glider `tubes differ slightly from the distance be-` tween the` jaxes of the rails, the lateral mobility or lost motion `provided by said anchoring means enables the bearingassembly 45 to be self-aligning coaxially with the rail and `be slightly oftsetfrom centralposition within the glider tube. In Figures 2, 5, 12 and 13, the anchoring means .Sois illustrated as a rivet or the like Asweated in tion of thefsegment. In'Figures 2, 3, 5 to 8 and 12, the medial part of the arcuate segment is toward the outer side wall of the glider and held by the anchoring means thereat. In Figure 13 the medial part of the segment is toward the inner side wall of the glider and held by anchoringmeans carried by said inner wall and projecting into a `medial part of said segment. In Fig. l0, the medial part of the `segment is omitted, and only upper and lower arcuate sections 48', 48 utilized. While both of these sections may be anchored, if desired, it will ordinarily suce to anchor only one to cause the assembly to travelfwith the glider, since compression and friction ofthe resilient member will retain the other or lower` section ink place. In all constructions shown, the annulus f 47 mayfbe of `any suitable resilient material, of which rubber and neoprene are satisfactory examples.

In order that lubricant may be retained in the glider tubes, -the ends thereof may `be sealed by suitable caps 49 inserted andheld in the outer ends thereof and litting The entire space from one hearing assembly to the other, around the rail and within the glider tube, see Fig. 3, may be filled with lubricant. lWhere a structure prevails, such as in Fig. 9

, wherein the Aglider is more or less open, an encompassing sleeve 56 may be provided coaxial to and around the rail from one bearing-assembly to the other. Such sleeve is larger than the'rail so as to provide spacetherebetween for lubricant. One convenient arrangement is to use a sleeve of appropriate inside diameter so that its end margins mayY overlap and be carried by the contiguous end margins of` bushings '46 with adequate fit to prevent leakage ofthe lubricantthereat.

flnadditon to their function` as mounting means for the bearingwassemblies 45, the glider formation is of a charaeterwhich provides side walls in vertical planes, that isi, planes perpendicular to the general top plane of the carriage, so as to provide reenforcement to resist tendencyvof the load to make the carriage sag. Where Vsquarejtubingis'utilized for the gliders, the utilization of a continuation of the material forming the gliders to also constitute a top plateas above described with respect to Fig. 9 is of course impossible. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, a top plate 57 may be provided which extends .across vfrom glider to glider and coextensive with the length `of the gliders and overlapping the entire top walls of both gliders so that both side walls of both gliders underlie said "plate longitudinally thereof and are pereI pendicular thereto. a, v'The side iedgesof the ,plate are welded longitudinally to the `upper edges `rof the. side walls of the. glider, as indicated at 58. If preferred, said topplate may be sectional, as best illustrated'by,Figs.`-7 and 10, so as to provide'one-section thereof atfthe front end of the carriage and another sectionat the rear end of the carriage, each section *being* lwelde'dTto the gliderv as above described. Furthermoreyas shown-in Fig; 10,A Isaid top plate` mayV have abutting relation at its side edges with the two gliders, 'instead of overlapping the tops thereof. The welding of the side edges of the top plate unies said plate with said gliders so that the reenforcement of the side walls of the gliders will be eifective with respect to said plate. Thus, in all structures shown, the side walls of the gliders, perpendicular to the top plate, function as reenforcing beams for said top plate and assist in supporting the load which is applied to said plate.

Between said gliders, parallel thereto, and illustrated as approximately as long as said gliders, is a tubular housing 59, welded to and functioning as a beam reenforcement for said plate, said housing likewise preferably being rectangular and shown as square in cross-section. Longitudinally within said housing is a threaded shaft 60 which preferably projects from both ends of the housing yand through the cleats 38 for rotational support thereby. The axis of said shaft and the geometric center line of the housing are substantially coincident. There is space within the housing, between it and said shaft, to receive a nut 61 which may be fed along the shaft by rotation of said shaft. The periphery of the nut 61 conforms to and is juxtaposed to the inner circumferential contour of the housing so as to keep the nut from rotating but enabling it to slide within the housing. As herein shown, a crank 62 is located and pinned on one end of the shaft where protruding through one cleat, thereby enabling the shaft to be conveniently rotated. A nut 63 is pinned or otherwise held on the shaft at the outside face of the other cleat, cooperating with said crank to prevent longitudinal movement of said shaft.

Where use of the support requires spring loading for the carriage, a spring 64 is provided with its convolutions encircling the shaft within the space between the shaft and housing. Rotation of the crank in one direction will draw nut 61 in a direction toward two pins 65 and corn.

press the spring for applying tightening tension on belt 32. Rotation in the other direction impresses nut 61 against pins 66 traversing the housing on the far side of the nut from said spring, said pins being located in holes for the purpose in said housing.

Where use of the support requires positive actuation of the carriage, rather than spring loading, the nut 61 may be held from longitudinal displacement in the housing so that rotation of the crank not only moves the nut along the shaft, but necessitates that the carriage be correspondingly moved. Retention of the nut is obtained by other pins (not shown) in holes 69 at the other face of the nut from and functioning in conjunction with sai-d pins 66 to confine the nut therebetween, said pins being located in close proximity respectively to the front and back faces of the nut. For this type of operation, no spring is required and may be omitted in accordance with the showingfin Fig. 7. v

Where a plurality of shafts, with accompanying springs, nuts, housings and pins are deemed desirable, as in Fig. 8, said shafts are interconnected for unison operation by chains and sprockets or equivalent means. Thereby all of the shafts will be rotated in unison, and as the respective nuts thereon are each prevented from turning by engagement in their respective housings they will be displaced simultaneously and equal amounts on and by their respective shafts. Where springs are used, each will be compressed a like amount. Where no springs are used, each nut will, with its shaft, take an equal share of the burden of moving the carriage.

a Inadditionto and in `conjunction with the longitudinal` reenforcement of the-top plate, I-also'provide a structurev having cross-wise reenforcement. l1:"orinstance,as sh9wnin Figs. 6-and 7, diagonal braces 7 0-may be provided from the oppositebottom edges of housing 59 sloping upwardlyV outward ,to -the' most` proximate upper edge of the glider tube 40g-with', the braces welded at their respective endsyto .said' housing and tubes. The resultant Vstructuregconstitutes a truss whichwill preventany sag transversely in' the carriage# I mayguse a single piece ofmaterial from posed between saidr rail and glider, said bearing assembly having sliding fit on said rail and lateral mobility in said glider enabling said assembly to be self-aligning coaxially on said rail.

2. A support for machinery and the like, comprising a carriage `and a rail, said carriage having a glider slidable with respect to said rail, and a bearing assembly interposed between said rail and glider, said bearing assembly having a bushing slidably litting said rail and having an arcuate segment engagingsaid glider within the same.

3. A support for machinery and the like, comprising a carriage and a rail, said carriage having a glider slidable with respect to said rail, and a bearing assembly interposed between said rail and glider, said bearing assembly having a bushing slidably litting said rail and having an arcuate segment engaging said glider within the same and a resilient member between said bushing and segment.

4. A support for machinery and the like, comprising a carriage and a rail, said carriage having a glider slidable with respect to said rail, said glider being substantially square in cross-section, and a bearing assembly interposed between said rail and glider, said assembly having an exterior arcuate member extending more than around said assembly, said glider making tangential engagement with said member.

5. A support Ifor machinery and the like, comprising a carriage and a rail, said carriage having a glider slidable with respect to said rail, said glider being substantially square in cross-section, and a bearing assembly interposed between said rail and glider, said assembly having an exterior arcuate C-shaped member, and each of a plurality of the walls of said glider making tangential engagement with said member.

6. A support for machinery and the like, comprising a carriage and a rail, said carriage having a glider slidable with respect to said rail, said glider being substantiallyV square in cross-section, and a bearing assembly interposed between said rail and glider, said assembly having a bushing slidably iitting said rail and having an exterior G- shaped arcuate segment extending more than 180 around said bushing and adapted to make tangential engagement with a plurality of the Walls of said glider, and said assembly'having a resilient annulus between said bushing and segment with a part of said annulus exposed through the open side of said segment.

7. A support comprising a longitudinal rail, two aligned sleeves on and in slidable engagement wtih said rail and lconcentric therewith, a resilient tube substantially concentric with and upon each of said sleeves, an arcuate C-shaped member of more than 180 and less than 360 located substantially concentrically upon each said tube and having a compressional pre-loading engagement therewith, a rail-receiving means at least partially encompassing said sleeves and tubes land 'in tangential engagement with said C-'shaped member, and a carriage body comprising a fixed part with said rail-receiving Imeans and movable with said sleeve, tube and member on said rail.

8. A support comprising a longitudinal rail, a carriage body mounted to move longitudinally of said rail, said partially encompassing saidrailQa sleeve, on said rail in Y slidingv Contact therewith, Ysaid sleeve being at least in part within said rail-receiving means, the outer surface of said sleeve having a straight-line configuration longitudinally thereof parallel to thesunface of said rail, and said 'sleeve in its entirety encompassing saidrail for a part of thelength of said rail, a resilient tube having an inner surface in'engagement with said outer surface of said sleeve,` a C-shaped member encompassingsaid tube for more than 180 and compressing said tube with a part of said tube bulging from's'ad C-shaped member,

whereby engagementbet'ween said :means and member and between vsaid means and bulging part oft said tube `permits self-alignment'os'aidsleeve coaxially on said rail. :i ReferencesyCited the 'lelofthis patent "Y SATES PATENTS 1,239,901 Gest" sept, 1,1, 1917 181119813` Harris H 1 1 sept. zo, 1932 l 2,327,035 f Gray etal Aug. 17, 1943 1 

